erasmus alumni magazine

Back to collegeSustainability is here to stayMessage from Moscow

October 2010

Philosopher amongst politiciansA day in the life of alumnus Ronald van Raak

erasmus alumni magazine

01

Waarom Erasmus AcademieAlgemene informatie

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Erasmus AcademyNew Energy!

Mastercourse Energy FinanceLike common stocks, energy is a product that does not differ in quality or characteristics between several providers. This implies that energy fi rms compete in price and in absorbing the risks from changes in the prices of energy contracts. Therefore, proper portfolio management and risk management will be the key to survivorship and success. After this course, participants may expect to have obtained a thorough understanding of key issues in portfolio and risk management, derivative valuation and asset valuation in the current international energy markets.

For more information or registration, go to: www.erasmusacademie.nl/energy

Masterclass Cradle to Cradle® in Higher Education Since the introduction of the Cradle to Cradle® concept in the Netherlands in 2006 there have been many public and private business initiatives to develop the concept in

practice and to anchor it in Dutch society. However there are drawbacks to this fast success: interpreters of the concept are not always fully aware of the entire range of thoughts or do not possess the right skills to put the ideas into practice. Besides, the enormous attention from society for C2C leads to questions from the academic world. Students and lecturers include the concept more and more in their studies, their education or research. The masterclass Cradle to Cradle® has been especially developed for the world of education, for example academic staff, PhD-students, lecturers and professors. It is also possible to partake as an interested party from a municipality or any other public institute. The ultimate goal is to reach, guarantee and maintain the quality of the C2C-concept, as to ensure that within the many initiatives the right knowledge is applied and passed on to future generations.

For more information or registration, go to: www.erasmusacademie.nl/c2c

Erasmus Academy is easily reached both by car (via the A16) and public transport (metro, tram 7 or 21). Course participants have access to free parking at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Erasmus Academy, Institute for Postgraduate EducationBurgermeester Oudlaan 50, Expo- en Congrescentrum EURPO Box 1738, 3000 DR RotterdamTel: +31 10 408 1839E-mail: [email protected]: www.erasmusacademie.nl

All our programmes are created in close cooperation with faculty of the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Erasmus Academy offers postgraduate education for professionals and organizations. We translate high-grade scientifi c knowledge into specialized training programmes. Courses focus on the specialized know-how needed by today’s professionals. Find a complete list of courses on: www.erasmusacademie.nl.

Waarom Erasmus AcademieAlgemene informatie

ww

w.e

rasm

usa

cad

emie

.nl

Erasmus AcademyNew Energy!

Mastercourse Energy FinanceLike common stocks, energy is a product that does not differ in quality or characteristics between several providers. This implies that energy fi rms compete in price and in absorbing the risks from changes in the prices of energy contracts. Therefore, proper portfolio management and risk management will be the key to survivorship and success. After this course, participants may expect to have obtained a thorough understanding of key issues in portfolio and risk management, derivative valuation and asset valuation in the current international energy markets.

For more information or registration, go to: www.erasmusacademie.nl/energy

Masterclass Cradle to Cradle® in Higher Education Since the introduction of the Cradle to Cradle® concept in the Netherlands in 2006 there have been many public and private business initiatives to develop the concept in

practice and to anchor it in Dutch society. However there are drawbacks to this fast success: interpreters of the concept are not always fully aware of the entire range of thoughts or do not possess the right skills to put the ideas into practice. Besides, the enormous attention from society for C2C leads to questions from the academic world. Students and lecturers include the concept more and more in their studies, their education or research. The masterclass Cradle to Cradle® has been especially developed for the world of education, for example academic staff, PhD-students, lecturers and professors. It is also possible to partake as an interested party from a municipality or any other public institute. The ultimate goal is to reach, guarantee and maintain the quality of the C2C-concept, as to ensure that within the many initiatives the right knowledge is applied and passed on to future generations.

For more information or registration, go to: www.erasmusacademie.nl/c2c

Erasmus Academy is easily reached both by car (via the A16) and public transport (metro, tram 7 or 21). Course participants have access to free parking at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Erasmus Academy, Institute for Postgraduate EducationBurgermeester Oudlaan 50, Expo- en Congrescentrum EURPO Box 1738, 3000 DR RotterdamTel: +31 10 408 1839E-mail: [email protected]: www.erasmusacademie.nl

All our programmes are created in close cooperation with faculty of the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Erasmus Academy offers postgraduate education for professionals and organizations. We translate high-grade scientifi c knowledge into specialized training programmes. Courses focus on the specialized know-how needed by today’s professionals. Find a complete list of courses on: www.erasmusacademie.nl.

Founded in 2009 to give fi nancial support to talented students outside the EU who are not

entitled to regular fi nancing and are often entirely dependent on scholarships.

To ensure the success of this fl edgling fund, we urgently need the support of you, our

alumni.

Will you join us in helping to develop the talent of tomorrow?

You can make a contribution by transferring funds to the Vereniging Trustfonds EUR, bank

account number 25.54.03.607, referring to the Erasmus Scholarship Fund.

Your contribution will go directly, and in full, to the foreign student who needs it, thereby

enriching the educational climate of the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

To fi nd out more about the Erasmus Scholarship Fund

visit www.eur.nl/alumni/erasmusscholarshipfund or contact EUR’s Alumni & Corporate

Relations Offi ce on +31 10 408 1815.

Talent knows no borders�

Eras

mus

Uni

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ity R

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rdam

Mei Ying (21)

One day…

She will discover a revolutionary

medicine for Alzheimer’s

Badru (18)

One day…He will win the Nobel Prize forEconomics

04 erasmusalumni. magazine

Preface October 2010

Dear alumnus,A tradition has been restored. Erasmus University Rotterdam

once again has its own alumni magazine, Erasmus Alumni

magazine, or EA for short. It will, for now at least, be published

twice a year and keep you up-to-date with what is happening

on both the Hoboken and Woudestein campuses in Rotterdam.

While compiling this magazine, we did not just consider

what binds you all to this wonderful university, but also what

connects you to each other. It seems that you all have various

character traits in common. For instance, you appear to be

enterprising and risk-taking; you all share the ‘roll your sleeves

up and get on with it’ mentality typical of Rotterdam, as well

as the open-mindedness to the rest of the world that also cha-

racterizes the city. So it came as no surprise to read in a recent

study by Intermediair that most high flyers in the Dutch business

world came from Erasmus University. And this mentality pays

off in the world of science too. The prestigious Leiden Ranking

puts Erasmus University Rotterdam sixth in Europe and it is the

highest-ranked university in the Netherlands.

With particular regard to our centenary (8 November 2013) and

to the significant changes planned over the coming years (both

campuses will be thoroughly modernized), we want to increase

your involvement in our affairs. Increasing international compe-

tition and the need for new funding streams for our research

and education both demand we raise our profile, and we will

need you as ambassadors and partners.

You could become an involved and active member of the

general alumni association or of one of the faculty alumni as-

sociations. Or you might help us by creating internships for EUR

students within your business or organization. Your help will

strengthen Erasmus University Rotterdam.

We hope you enjoy our new magazine.

Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].

P.S. You can activate your profile in the Erasmus Alumni Network by going to www.eur.nl/alumni

36

Erasmus Alumni Magazine/EA is published by the Staff Department Marketing & Communications at Erasmus University Rotterdam EditionVolume 1, EA 01October 2010

Editorial addressEUR, Dept. SM & C PO Box 17383000 DR [email protected]/alumni Managing EditorCarien van der Wal, Alumni and Corporate Relations Officer

Editorial DepartmentEditor-in-Chief Wieneke Gunneweg, Desk Editor Mieke Fiers TranslationLinda Cook AdvertisingCarien van der Wal, Lukas Voesenek, Hennie Boes

ContributorsLobke van Aar, Tim Gouw, Ronald van den Heerik, Kysia Hekster, José Luijpen, Geert Maarse, Marjolein Marchal, Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Daan Rutten, Bas van der Schot, Ebru Umar, Kees Vermeer, Levien Willemse, EUR faculties, including Erasmus MC, IHS and ISS

PrintingHabodacosta, Vianen DesignUnit20: Yoe San Liem and Maud van Velthoven

CoverRonald van den Heerik

Editorial Advisory CommitteeThe EAC consists of faculty representatives and alumni associations and has an advisory role in the development of EA. © Erasmus University RotterdamNo part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent from the publishers.

Erasmus Alumnimagazine

10

Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Chair of the Executive Board, Erasmus University Rotterdam

01

erasmusalumni. magazine 05

Contents

06 Back to college

08 Erasmus news

10 A day in the life of Ronald van Raak

15 Column: Ebru Umar

16 Entrepreneur meets starter

19 Across borders

20 Focus on research

22 Science news

24 Erasmus University and sustainability

29 From Rotterdam to Moscow

30 Alumni affairs

34 Column: Pauline van der Meer Mohr

35 Inaugural speech

36 That’s why Rotterdam

37 Quote

39 Family portrait

24

16

20


Back to college

Nienke Albersen-Vergouwen:‘I’m looking for the balance between hard work and happiness.’


Go back to college after a decade or so? That’s what Nienke

Albersen-Vergouwen (38) did. Nienke, from Kijkduin, followed

Erasmus University’s Refresher Programme for Lawyers in

2009. ‘This time I did find Criminal and Administrative Law

interesting.’

When were you at university? ‘In 2003 I graduated in In-

ternational Private Law, specializing in intellectual property.’

What did you do when you graduated? ‘I worked in my

father’s music business, where I still play a role as legal advi-

sor. My husband’s work took us to Singapore where we lived

for five years together with our two children. They are now

eight and five.’

What made you decide to follow the Refresher Pro-gram? ‘I guess I’m typical of those mothers who want to de-

dicate themselves to their children while they’re still young,

then return to work as soon as possible. When we returned

to the Netherlands in 2008, my husband’s employer told me

about the refresher course. The main reason I wanted to do

it was to re-orient myself; to find out what I really wanted

and where my passion lay.’

Now that you’ve finished the year – what has it given you? ‘It has broadened my horizons. Some people in my

group were focused on finding a job, but I realized that I did-

n’t want to work just for the sake of it. I will definitely look

for employment, but it will have to be something I enjoy and

that challenges me intellectually. I might combine paid em-

ployment with voluntary work – helping people who need

legal advice for example. I want to invest my knowledge in

something significant. I’m looking for a balance between

hard work and happiness. That’s what I will be focusing on in

the near future.’

What was it like to be back at EUR? ‘It was a déjà vu! Not

much had changed. It was funny – quite a few professors re-

cognized me from my first time around, which surprised me,

I wasn’t someone who spent a great deal of time at lectu-

res… The EUR is sometimes seen as big, businesslike and im-

personal, but that’s not an accurate picture.’

What did you think of your fellow students? ‘I found

them grown-up, in touch with what was going on but at the

same time self-conscious. And I saw a lot of different cultu-

res, which I liked, because that is how society is these days.’

What did you like about the course? ‘That I got to study

every subject again. This gave me a chance to become inte-

rested in areas that didn’t appeal to me before. During my

studies I wasn’t very interested in criminal or administrative

law. Now I found it fascinating.’

What was it like to have to study again? ‘Tough. You

have to be able to concentrate on your study material for an

entire day, as well as have the discipline to bury yourself in

books again, alongside all your other daily tasks. But I did

feel that I was doing something serious. It wasn’t just a short

course of a few weekends. It takes a whole year, so you de-

monstrate commitment by taking it on.

How much time did it take? ‘I had college all day on Fri-

day, and then got assignments to do at home. If you wanted

to get everything out of it, you’d probably have to spend 25

hours a week on it.’

How easy was it to combine the course with regular fa-mily life? ‘It took a while before it became just another part

of my life. I did the course with a friend, and at the begin-

ning we would call home regularly to make sure everything

was OK. And we’d race home at the end of the day. But my

family soon got used to me not always being available and it

wasn’t long before I could close the front door and leave

everything behind me. We would even have a meal together

after a day at college, it became an evening out. In the end,

it was definitely worth it.’

Want to study again? The EUR organizes postgraduate courses and workshops across a broad range of fields. Visit www.erasmusacademie.nl or www.erasmusmc.nl/onderwijs for more information

‘It’s tough. You must have the discipline to bury yourself in books again - alongside all your other daily tasks.’

Some of the professors remembered me from the first time around

text Kees Vermeer

photo Levien Willemse


Erasmus news

From the start of this college year, EUR stu-

dents can obtain their second-degree tea-

ching certificate in six months by following

a new education minor. Participants attend

various lectures to master teaching skills and

then take up an internship at a secondary

school in the Rotterdam area. The educati-

on minor is open to students of economics,

history, social studies and philosophy; they

will only be qualified to teach in their own

field of study. The idea for the new course

was prompted by the shortage of academi-

cally qualified teachers, as well as by the fact

that there was no academic teacher training

course in the Rotterdam area.

Two other new initiatives are a bachelor and

master degree in Educational Sciences that

should take off next year; the bachelor is ex-

pected to be launched in September 2011.

The university is also setting up a univer-

sity college: a multidisciplinary, small-scale

bachelor degree that will link big scientific

questions to major societal issues; the plans

will need to be submitted to the Ministry of

Education by the spring of 2011.

With these new courses, the university wants

to offer a more diverse range of training pro-

grammes to students in the region.

(photo: LW)

More room for medical school Over the next few years, medical students at

Hoboken will be given more space in which

to study. A new Education Centre, now in its

final stages, is being built against the faculty

building. Rotterdam firm Claus en Kaan

Architecten has taken the Queridoplein as the

central focus for the design. The square will be

given an impressive roof, transforming it into

a covered courtyard that will house a medical

library as well as facilities for students to study

on their own. A variety of teaching rooms will

be built around the courtyard. The centre is

scheduled for completion in 2011.

You can find more information at www.

erasmusmc.nl/onderwijs/onderwijscentrum/

EUR focuses on education Over the next few years Erasmus University is broadening its range of training courses,

focusing particularly on education-oriented programmes.

2013That’s the year in which Erasmus University

Rotterdam celebrates its centenary – in a

big way. What started as the Nederlandsche

Handels-Hoogeschool in 1913 remains an

enterprising and society-oriented university.

Under the banner ‘Erasmus 2013: At

home in the World’, the university has put

its plans for its centenary celebrations on

paper. The main goals are to grow student

numbers, improve the quality and academic

achievement of its education, to strengthen

its top-level research groups and boost

regional cooperation.

You can read the entire strategy document on the EUR website.


Over the next few years Woudestein will add a new

sports building, a student pavilion and extra student

accommodation to its current site. Parking spaces will

disappear underground and more green spaces, with water,

will be created. This will all give the university the feel of a

real campus, making it a place not just for education, but

also for recreation, with facilities for sporting and cultural

events for residents and visitors alike. 2013 should see the

completion of the first part of the project.

For more information go to www.eur.nl/campus/op_de_campus/ontwikkeling_campus/

Woudestein to become a real campus

‘If I look back at my life and wonder how it all could have happened to me, I realize how grateful I am to the Erasmus University for teaching me to think and be inquisitive.’ European Commissioner Neelie Kroes, guest speaker at the opening of the academic year, recalling her own time as student at the Rotterdam university.

Cooperation is the new competitionThe OECD was clear: while the Rotterdam region boasts a lot of know-how,

there isn’t enough collaboration between different centres of learning.

Colleges and universities in Rotterdam and Delft need to link up and share their

expertise.

With over 70,000 students in higher

education, Rotterdam and Delft toge-

ther form the second largest teaching

area in the Netherlands - this is impor-

tant when it comes to creating eco-

nomic spin-offs and opportunities for

the region. However, according to the

OECD there is a significant lack of in-

teraction between the different cen-

tres of learning. These findings have

led to establishment of the Regional

Knowledge Economy agenda to focus

on sustainable innovation, high-quali-

ty medical research and education,

talent and innovation over the

coming years.

That cooperation is the new compe-

tition is a belief shared by the EUR.

During the opening of the new aca-

demic year, the university announced

that it intends to strengthen its ties

with TU Delft and the University of

Leiden.

(photo: Rotterdam Marketing)

Erasmus abroadBy becoming more international, the Erasmus University hopes to establish long-lasting contacts in the area of research. Currently the EUR is focusing its efforts on three non-European countries: China, India and Brazil. There are plans to visit these countries in 2010 and 2011 and the trips will include activities for alumni.

Philosopheramongst politiciansAlumnus Ronald van Raak

A day in the life of Ronald van Raak



The first politicians start to trickle out of the Binnenhof in

The Hague. Maxime Verhagen (Christian Democrats, CDA)

walks past, laughing as he goes. Sietse Fritsma (Partij voor

de Vrijheid, PVV) rushes off homewards and a police cordon

drives away from the Binnenhof in the direction of the Bin-

nenhofplein. Ronald van Raak is at the heart of the country’s

affairs, one of the people who call the shots in the Nether-

lands. But what does this mean in practice? Well one thing

it means is that Van Raak has to go through an awful lot of

security doors each day. Today, he’s weighing up how many

people can pass through the reinforced revolving doorway

that gives access to the plenary hall. ‘Be careful,’ he warns,

‘only 130 kilos at a time! A Christian Democrat MEP got

stuck in the doors once – apparently he was over the weight

limit, all he could do was cry for help.’

It is the third Tuesday in September and Ronald van Raak,

who always seems to be smiling, has just left the Ridderzaal

(Hall of Knights) carrying the famous briefcase that contains

the Budget Memorandum and the National Budget and is

presented to the Tweede Kamer (equivalent to the British

House of Commons). ‘The Queen’s very first sentence was

poignant,’ he says, with the look of someone who sen-

ses an opportunity. ‘There was an immediate buzz in the

room.‘ Queen Beatrix had already used the words ‘stable

government’ earlier that day, in her Queen’s Speech. ‘And

the Queen’s Speech,’ continues Van Raak, ‘is written by the

prime-minister. Could it be that Balkenende isn’t so pleased

after all with the imminent coalition of the VVD, CDA and

PVV?’

Maelstrom of media democracyBut there’s not much time to ponder the question. In the Eer-

ste Kamer (roughly equivalent to the House of Lords), where

Van Raak spent three years, he had time to read, reflect, and

spend time in quiet argumentation. Now, in the ‘maelstrom

of media democracy’ as he calls it, he spends his days cat-

ching up on the latest developments with colleagues,

Philosopheramongst politiciansAlumnus Ronald van Raak

These days Ronald van Raak is a well-known MP for the

Socialist Party (Socialistische Partij) in the Netherlands.

He studied philosophy and social history at the Erasmus

University Rotterdam. EA met up with him during a hectic

Budget Day (Prinsjesdag).

text Daan Rutten

photo Ronald van den Heerik

Ronald van Raak in the

building of the parliament

on Budget Day.


receiving accolades and talking to journalists. This

afternoon for example he will be answering the

‘Throne Phone’, a phone line allowing people to

call the Socialist Party with their response to the

Budget. ‘This means we know immediately what

the country is thinking.’

Nearly all of the party’s MPs take a turn on the

‘Throne Phone’, even those at the top, and calls

are received in a special room, where eyes are

also often trained on a widescreen TV; especially

today, in the light of the breaking news that

someone has thrown a tealight candle at the

Royal Coach.

‘Hello ma’am.’ Van Raak answers. ‘You’re

through to the SP’s Throne Phone.’ He listens to

an elderly lady talking on the other end. ‘She asks

herself why she feels so superfluous in today’s

society,’ he explains. ‘She says she’s worked since

she was 14 years old and now, suddenly, she’s a

“financial problem”. That’s awful, really. And it’s

not the first time I’ve heard it. These are the sort

of people that I make sure I have time to talk to.’

Small shopkeepersThe back rooms of the Socialist Party are con-

vivial, not least because everyone seems to be

talking with a Brabant accent. But appearances

can be deceptive. Things are getting done, deci-

sions being made. Van Raak: ‘It’s actually quite

dynamic.’ He winces as he uses the word. ‘It’s

such a neo-liberal term.’

Van Raak compares MPs to small shopkeepers.

‘They do the buying and the stocktaking, operate

the cash desk and manage the warehouse.’ He

has one person to help him but that person also

helps other SP-ers in Home Affairs department.

Van Raak makes the best of the situation. His

portfolio covers police and safety, water boards,

domestic governance, the Royals, Antillean

Affairs, the Home Office and General Affairs.

‘When I was studying I learnt to absorb a lot of

material, but this is very different. Sometimes I

have just 15 minutes to go through a thick sheaf

of papers and I’m then asked my opinion on its

content. It certainly teaches you to get to the

core of something fast.’

And that’s not all. He also has to face journalists

most mornings, often on the train on the way

in to work. And he receives literally hundreds of

emails and phone calls each week from people

who all seem to want something from him. He

smiles. ‘The gist of most mails is: I want you to

arrange this for me and it is urgent.’ That’s just

the way it is. Obviously I’d prefer it if someone

would say: I would like this to change and I’m

willing to take action myself but would very much

appreciate your support. Still, I feel priveleged

that people come to me with their problems.

That’s the thing about being an MP – because we

can protect our sources, people trust us and are

willing to take us into their confidence. And we

get to hear all sorts of things; there were dubious

practices at the national police organization vtsPN

for example, too much money was apparently

being spent on external parties. At other times

you don’t get to hear anything significant. Unfor-

tunately I can’t help everyone, but I do reply to all

requests. An MP is on the go 24/7. It’s a vocation,

a calling. I work 80 hours a week – and that really

is 80 hours! Not like a manager who says that he

works 80 hours a week,’ he laughs.

Land of plentyDuring his philosophy studies at the Erasmus

University, students were encouraged to be free

and independent thinkers. And he’s still reaping

the benefits of this today. ‘You have to retain

your independence,’ he says. It’s easy to regard

the Binnenhof as an enticing ‘Land of Plenty’,

where everyone wants to be your friend. Van

Raak is standing on the bridge as he talks and

points to the milling crowd below. ‘It’s not just

like that on Budget day,’ he points out. ‘But every

day. There is always something going on, often

organized by lobbyists from some association or

other, who make it very easy to join them. I know

most of their stories by now and to tell the truth

I can’t really relate to many of them. They always

represent some standpoint or other, and are often

from a particular company. That’s fine, but I’d

rather invest my time representing the interests

of the man and woman in the street. Last year

for example, I initiated a research study amongst

10,000 members of the police force. What came

out tallied with the recent findings of the TV pro-

gramme EenVandaag, that they were dissatisfied,

and rightly so. For years people had only looked

at the figures and thought they could be cut. But

in practice this wasn’t possible. Together with

Hero Brinkman from the PVV, I took the police

interests on board - the VVD was with us too –

and agreements were made. These seem to have

been forgotten in the new budget but I’ll make

sure that they’re kept.’

Van Raak retains his independence when it

comes to the lobbyists, but can he remain the

freethinking philosopher within the constraints

of his own party? According to Van Raak it’s a

myth that the SP keeps a hold on the reins from

the top. ‘As a leader, Jan Marijnissen was an

especially good listener, and Emile Roemer is the

same. Good leaders are always good listeners. I

agree with the ideology of the SP. Everything is

openly discussed. Of course, sometimes I disagree

with certain aspects of policy, but it’s always just a

question of the details. And you do lose occasio-

nally - but that happens in politics, it’s all part of

the package. In the end, we’re stronger because

we stand together.’

This attitude led to a lot of discussion during his

university days. He remembers philosopher Jos de

Mul, and Henk Oosterling, of whom he has fond

memories. ‘Oosterling was a great person to have

as a lecturer,’ he recalls. ‘He had a remarkable

physical presence, perhaps because he practiced

martial arts. Anyway, the two of us regularly had

lively discussions. He was too much of a free-

thinking anarchist for me, a deconstructivist. I

believe more in freedom through unity. Society

has to have enough structure in place before its

citizens can be really free. Perhaps that’s why our

discussions often became so heated.’

Time for thoughtVan Raak finds the pressure of the media too

much at times, though he admits to his part in

it: ‘When I agree to formulate a political opinion

within 15 minutes for instance. Mind you, these

days, if I need longer to think about something I’ll

say so. Journalists looked at me askance at first,

but they know to expect this from me now. But



Other EUR alumni in Dutch

politics

Ronald van Raak is not the only

alumnus who went into politics.

Others include:

> Jan Kees de Jager, Minister of

Finance in Balkenende IV

Studied social economics, business

economics and Dutch law

> Ab Klink, Minister of Health,

Welfare and Sport in Balkenende IV

Studied sociology

> Eimert van Middelkoop,

Minister of Defence and Minister

of Housing and Integration in

Balkenende IV

Studied sociology

> Neelie Kroes, European

Commissioner for Digital Affairs,

formerly Minister of Transport

(amongst other posts)

Studied economics

> Marianne Thieme, leader of

the Partij voor de Dieren (Party for

Animals)

Studied Dutch law

> Ruud Lubbers, former Prime

Minister and UN Commissioner

Studied economics

> Herman Heinsbroek, Minister of

Economic Affairs in Balkenende I

Studied law

> Cees Veerman, Minister for

Agriculture, Wildlife and Fisheries

in Balkenende I, II and III

Studied economics

> Jan Pronk, Minister in the

cabinets of Den Uyl, Lubbers III,

Kok I and II, held several positions

in the UN

Studied economics

> Frans Weisglas, former chairman

of the Tweede Kamer

Studied economics

> Joost Eerdmans, former MP for

the Lijst Pim Fortuyn (LPF), now an

alderman in Capelle a/d IJssel

Studied public administration

> Ersilia de Lannooy, Minister of

Finance Curaçao

Studied Business Administration

‘Anyone can call the SP’s Throne Phone on Budget Day.’



we definitely operate, in part at least, in a ‘media

democracy’ and that definitely has its impact on

politics. If there are cameras present at a debate,

some politicians will go for the sound bites, the

one-liners. They want to make their point in front

of a camera. Thankfully, most debates aren’t fol-

lowed on cameras and there is time for dossiers

to be discussed in depth and for arguments to be

exchanged and evaluated. People will then consider

the standpoint held by somebody else and try to

come up with a solution together. That’s why I trust

the political process. Parliament is a powerful body.

When the matter being discussed is an important

one, and 76 seats all want the same thing, then

you’ll see this happening. Of course you lose some-

times – and if you can’t take it then you shouldn’t

be in politics. But when a whistle-blower comes

to me with a report that the minister or ministry

(whose vision is coloured, naturally) doesn’t refer

to, then I will make sure they see it. We have to

respond then, and it makes sense to do so.’

What Van Raak finds frustrating, and doesn’t

understand, is why the current wind is blowing

from the right at the Binnenhof, especially since he

believes that it’s the neo-liberal idea that ‘greed is

good’ that has caused the mess in the first place.

‘While many people seem to share the ideals of the

SP, they don’t seem to have faith in our solutions.

And we’re to blame for that. We could be a bit

more fierce.’

As we talk, new munition arrives via the Throne

Phone – someone from a security firm volunteering

to be a contact. And a woman who comes up with

an interesting new term for Shares Tax. ‘Speculation

Tax,’ ponders Van Raak. ‘I haven’t heard that one

before - that’s a good one, madam.’

‘I think the SP could be a bit more fierce’

Via science into politics

Ronald van Raak (1969, Hilvaren-

beek) studied social history and

philosophy at the EUR. He wrote

his thesis, The Modern Fool, on

Bertolt Brecht. Initially it looked

as though he would make his

career in science but he graduated

in 2000 with a dissertation on

conservatism in the Netherlands.

He shifted to the left however and

spent time doing research for the

SP’s Scientific Research depart-

ment, where the party selected

him as a candidate for the Eerste

Kamer; he became a member in

2003 and joined the Tweede Ka-

mer in 2006.

‘You’re an MP 24/7’

They’re so young, the kids who find their way to my mailbox. They want to interview me for their course on interview tech-niques. And when I appear in public they come up and press me with questions: ‘I want to do what you do. What did you study?’ They address me formally these kids, using the ‘u’ form. I don’t consider myself old enough to be addressed like that. And I certainly don’t think I look old enough! If I’m not wearing make-up, and not dressed like I’ve just stepped off a catwalk, people usually take me for 10 years younger than I am. I was young too, even younger than them, when I studied law at Erasmus University. I wanted to study Business Administra-tion but we had to draw lots because of the limited number of places and I didn’t get in. It was the first time in my life I didn’t get what I want. So I found myself doing law. Law is what people choose when they don’t really know what else to do, when they want to play safe, study something that could take them in any direction. And it’s not a bad choice for the 98% of students who study just because a university education is what is expected of them, not necessarily because they know what they want to do. These students talk without shame about spending six years of their life ‘having fun’ at university, all of it paid for by Mummy and Daddy. Of course, Mummy and Daddy will expect a diploma at the end of those six years but that’s just part of the deal.Anyway, after one year doing law, I got to study Business Ad-ministration after all and that’s when everything came together. It was as if I was born for that study – I loved it. I got to travel, spent time on an internship abroad and got a kick out of wor-king on different projects. I had a great time.I went on to work in business for 10 years, for ING and Wolters-Kluwer. During that time I asked myself what it was that set me apart from my friends who had followed the same study. What made me unique? What could I do that they couldn’t do? I finally found out. I was a columnist. I could write, debate, argue and communicate. So if a 17-year-old girl comes up to me now and asks: ‘I want to do what you do. What did you study?’ I reply: ‘Business Administration. But it doesn’t matter what you study. As long as you enjoy what you’re doing, and remain true to yourself, then you will always end up doing what is right for you. Doing your own thing.

Ebru Umar (1970) is a columnist for Metro and Libelle and has published several books. She concluded her studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1994.

Refreshing advice

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Column Doing your own thing

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Entrepreneur meets starter

When the going gets tough you just keep on going Steven Lammertink (21) is

studying International Business

and Business Economics.

Han de Groot (38) officially

completed his studies in Business

Administration in 2002 but has

been working since 1997.

‘When you set out you might picture yourself as a millionaire

in 10 years time. But once your business is up and running

you’ve got to perform like a top athlete, a marathon run-

ner. When the going gets tough you’ve just got to keep on

going, there’s no time to nurse your wounds. I don’t want

to turn this into a sob story, but when you’re running a

company with 50, 100, 150 employees, and you’re turning

over tens of millions a year, you have to be on the go from

dawn till dusk – and I mean really on the go. It’s hard work.

You can’t sit back and dream about that big Porsche or a

fat bank account, or think that in three years you’ll sell the

company and that the world will be your oyster. No, there’s

no time for romance. The kicks only come at the finish, with

an IPO, an acquisition or a clinched deal. Until that time it’s

Hans de Groot’s online market research company, Metrixlab, made him a millionaire.

Steven Lammertink, still a student, has just started his own company. They both talk

to EA about the trials and tribulations of becoming a successful entrepreneur.

text Geert Maarse

photo Ronald van den Heerik


When the going gets tough you just keep on going question of sweating it out.’

That’s Han de Groot (38) talking. De Groot doesn’t want to

paint a pretty picture of self-employment. It’s like he’s war-

ning the student and entrepreneur Steven Lammertink (21)

who’s sitting in the chair opposite. Over the last 11 years De

Groot’s company Metrixlab has grown to become European

market leader in the field of online market research. It now

has offices in Paris, London, Hamburg and Madrid. He has

enormous perseverance and blind discipline to thank for

its success, says De Groot. ‘Once I naively thought, OK I’m

going to set up businesses and sell them, this is going to be

fun. But I soon found out that the more success I had, the

more focus I needed and the more painful the whole thing

became. Until a few years back, I used to wonder every sin-

gle day whether it would be a success. If you’re self-employ-

ed and don’t spend that time worrying, you won’t make it.’

Rooted in Erasmus We’re sitting in De Groot’s canal side house in Amsterdam.

On one side is the kitchen, separated by a glass door through

which we can see the swimming pool on the floor below. On

the other side is the lounge overlooking the Prinsengracht.

Lammertink, the ambitious young student, is dressed in a

dark blue suit and suede buckled shoes; he sits across from

the established entrepreneur De Groot, in jeans, with slicked

back greying hair. Lammertink appears ready to take the

world by storm with his optimism and courage, De Groot

exudes the confidence of a man accountable to no-one.

They both started out at the EUR. De Groot studied Business

Administration, Lammertink is currently rounding up his ba-

chelor in International Business and Business Economics.

At the beginning of this year, Lammertink and a business

partner founded Republish, a company specializing in


the conversion of documents to e-readers such as the iPad,

helping clients minimize their paper consumption. He’s

already won a few ‘business games’ and attracts constant

attention from investors. Today he has just returned from a

large healthcare institution that looks set to become a new

client. ‘It works in your favour if you’re still a student,’ he

says. ‘You can ask for more, and people want to help you.

There are so many companies and organizations that say:

“Sure, come and pays us a visit.” PricewaterhouseCoopers

for example is behind us – supporting us for free.’

Good people around youGood entrepreneurs need perseverance, states De Groot.

They also need to be able to collect a good group of peo-

ple around them. Lammertink: ‘I recently interviewed Keith

Wallace, chairman of the Investors Club. He said that he’d

seen a lot of good business plans but had rarely met a good

entrepreneur. Your plan does not need to be brilliant if the

people around you are. That’s true of Republish. I’m a good

salesman and my partner a true ICT professional.’

De Groot agrees: ‘Everyone has to have a different skill. My

first partner was an IT student from Delft – I actively went

searching for him. I knew I wasn’t good at the technical side

of things, I wasn’t good at the operational side or the figures

either. Are we best friends? No, but we are the best possible

business partners for each other. And that’s at the core of

our business success.’

So how has Rotterdam, and the EUR in particular, contribu-

ted to their business drive? De Groot: ‘I think that students

in Rotterdam are generally more enterprising than those who

study in Amsterdam, Utrecht or Groningen.’ Lammertink: ‘If I

look at my friends, almost all of them went to Amsterdam to

study, and none of them has their own company while they

were the ones who most enthusiastic about wanting to own

their own business one day.’

De Groot: ‘There aren’t so many entrepreneurs who have

had an academic education, while those are exactly the peo-

ple who have been educated to think that one step further,

who are able to turn a company around. And those are the

sort of entrepreneurs that graduate from Erasmus.’

Meaningful questionsLammertink says that he found his drive when he was 18

and teaching in a South African township. He had no idea

what his passion was but his students all seemed to know

theirs; one wanted to be a doctor, another his own boss.

‘Frankly, their future looked so bleak that they had little

chance of achieving their goals. I thought: I can just shrug

my shoulders and decide to keep on studying, or I can try to

become so rich that I can do something about their plight.’

De Groot’s ‘meaningful questions’ came later on in his career.

‘It’s been this past year that I’ve been thinking: that’s all very

well, working hard and earning money, but I now want to

do something that means something to others. Whether it’s €

50,000 or whatever, but something, in any case. And if I feel

that I can’t miss the money, I’ll just have to work harder.’

His attitude is in line with an increasing of awareness De

Groot developed since he reached his limit two years ago.

The blind ambition that had been driving him for 10 years

took its toll and, exhausted, he transferred the responsibility

for the daily running of the business over to others, forcing

himself to take distance. Now, people regularly ask each

other who he is, if he also works for Metrixlab. ‘It took some

getting used to,’ he admits, ‘but I enjoy it now. And let’s be

honest, I don’t want to work in an environment with a strict

hierarchy. I don’t need to sit on a throne feeling all high and

mighty.’

‘If you’re still a student it works in your favour. People want to help you.’

HOPE

Steven Lammertink’s company

Republish is supported by HOPE,

the Holland Program on Entre-

preneurship. HOPE is the Erasmus

University’s own expertise centre

for entrepreneurship. It provides

a pre-incubation programme for

(student) entrepreneurs who are

starting out and organizes various

events. Meet the Dragons, to

be held on 15 November 2010,

is one such event, and invites

students to put business pitches

before a panel of established

investors.

The Erasmus Ondernemers Net-

work (ONE) was established for

alumni entrepreneurs and orga-

nizes events such as discussion

panels where they can bounce

ideas around on different subjects

amongst themselves and experts.

For alumni who are interested in

investment, the Erasmus Business

Angel Network is currently being

set up. If you want to find out

more, please contact Henry Halbe

at [email protected].

You can find information about

HOPE at www.getstarted.nl

To receive the monthly newsletter,

send an e-mail to getstarted@

hope.eur.nl

Entrepreneur meets starter


A lot of students decide to abandon the familiarity of their home university for the

adventure of studying abroad. An Erasmus alumnus and student, who both spent

time in sunny California, talk to EA about their experiences.

text Tim Gouw

‘Sun, sea and sand. To be honest, that

was why I chose California. I wanted

to improve my English and where bet-

ter to do that than in an Anglo-Saxon

country? In the beginning the ‘forced

friendliness’ of the American people

took some getting used to. It’s obvious

that they’re not really interested in

how you are, but they always ask you

anyway. I still find it a little strange.

Together with a few other students I

bought a big old car for a few hund-

red dollars and we’d drive out of

town at weekends, to Los Angeles for

example. The wide highways, usually

empty, were a welcome change from

the Netherlands, where the roads are

always jam-packed. Mind you, it was

strange hardly ever having to change

gear! While most things there are on

a large scale, the lecture groups were

small, which was great. It meant that

you got to know your fellow students

quickly. I remember spending many

evenings playing beerpong with them.

I don’t recall the exact rules, but we

were divided into teams and took turns

trying to throw a ball into a cup. If you

succeeded then the other team mem-

bers had to knock back a beer in one

shot. I’d put on about seven kilos by

the end of my stay, which came as a bit

of a shock. It didn’t help either that we

went out for a meal most days, and a

meal in the States is much bigger than

what we’re used to here. What struck

me too was that American students pay

for almost everything with plastic, cre-

dit cards; and they don’t seem to worry

about their bank statement at the end

of the month. I would like to go back

some day. Even though there are more

differences than I had imagined at first

it remains a fascinating country.’

The campus was like a film décor‘Why America? Hmm, that’s a good

question. When I’d finished my master

degree in economics in Rotterdam,

and before I started writing my thesis,

I went into one of the cupolas in the

C hall where they give information on

exchanges and suchlike. I was keen to

gain some experience abroad and after

doing the necessary research I opted for

the well-acclaimed Berkeley in Califor-

nia. They run crash courses in different

subjects during the summer when most

of the students have left. Obviously this

is a clever commercial initiative. I fol-

lowed their marketing programme. It

included a lot of useful material and put

a lot of emphasis on daily practice. We

also focused on some interesting case

studies that were current at large re-

putable firms at the time. I stayed with

some 300 other foreign students in the

International House on campus. It was

very American! The students lived in

large villas with private pools and ate in

refectories serving a lot of food – often

very greasy food! This is something we

usually see just on TV but it does actu-

ally exist. The campus was like a film

décor, it was like living in a movie set.

Berkeley is half an hour out of San Fran-

cisco by metro. San Francisco is a great

city. What I especially liked was the rich

cultural diversity. There are Spanish,

Italian and Mexican neighbourhoods

where you can find excellent food. I

shared my room on campus with a fel-

low student from Korea. That was quite

a culture clash. He usually studied deep

into the night, and would then sleep in

every morning. Last year a fellow stu-

dent from the summer course got mar-

ried and invited some of us to India for

the wedding. It was like a small reunion.

It’s one way to see the world; it was a

really special experience.’

Name: Rick van den IJssel

Age: 23

Current status: pre-Master in

International Business

Administration (IBA)

Study abroad: 6 months at

California State University,

Fresno, in 2002

Name: Erik van de Kerkhof

Age: 28

Current status: Account mana-

ger at TNT Post Packet Service

Benelux. Studied business

economy, graduated in 1997.

Study abroad: 2-month

summer course at the Univer-

sity of California, Berkeley

Across borders

I had to get used to the forced friendliness


Focus on research

RESEARCH INTO KNOWLEDGE MIGRANTSMarianne van Bochove looked at the situation of successful migrants in her doctoral research. In her (sub)research paper Over de rode loper (Walking the red carpet), she teamed up with colleagues Katja Rusinovic and Godfried Engbersen and tried to paint an accurate picture of the lives of knowledge migrants in Rotterdam. ‘There is a stereotype of expats as cosmopolitans who make no real links with anyone or anything except their own expat world. While this is partly true, we found that there were many people who wanted to inte-grate more with the city where they live.’Apparently this is difficult, not least because in the Netherlands it is not usual to forge friendships in the workplace. Work and private life don’t usually mix. A lot of Rotterdam’s more knowledge migrants seem to make friends after they have been here for some time, through their children’s school, a sports club or voluntary work.’

30,000 EXPATSKatja Rusinovic is a post-doctoral re-searcher at Erasmus University. Together with Marianne van Bochove and a team of students she interviewed 75 Rotter-dam migrants. It is unclear exactly how many expats there are in Rotterdam since they are not registered as a sepa-rate group, but the figure is thought to be around 30,000.

EXPAT DESKRotterdam has a special Expat Desk on the third floor of the World Trade Centre. EUR research has shown that only a small percentage of expats know that it exists.

BUDDYPROJECTWhat you can do as a Dutch per-son? ‘You can show more interest in your non-Dutch colleague,’ says Van Bochove. ‘While you can’t force a friendship you can ask how their Dutch is coming along for example. It seems that a lot of people need to practice their Dutch with a native speaker. We would suggest setting up a Buddy Project.’


ARCHITECTUREIs Rotterdam an attractive city? The know-ledge migrant workers all praised the fact that everyone here speaks English and the excellent public transport system. ‘Some of them thought the city wasn’t very pretty – they probably came here with pictures of Amsterdam’s canals in their heads,’ says Van Bochove. ‘But we also talked to foreign architects working here who found Rotterdam a very attractive place to live.’

SUPERVISORGodfried Engbersen is professor of Sociology at Erasmus University and supervisor of this research program.

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Science news

The Erasmus University is planning to post scientific knowledge on the internet, making it free and available to all. Currently scientific articles tend to disappear within magazines and trade journals that often maintain hefty subscription costs.

At the opening of this academic year, Rector Magnificus

Henk Schmidt pointed to the absurdity of the current

situation in which society has to pay twice for scientific

data: once to produce it and again to access the

publications in which it appears.

Science for all

Honorary doctorate for research into problem-based learningThe theme of this year’s Foundation Day at the

Erasmus University is Problem-based Learning (PBL).

An honorary doctorate goes to Canadian Geoff

Norman and will be issued by honorary supervisor

and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Henk

van der Molen. Norman, Professor of Clinical

Epidemiology and biostatistics at Canada’s McMaster

University, receives the honorary degree as one

of the founders of PBL. On the day, Norman will

give a speech entitled Problem-based learning and

medical problem solving. Everyone is welcome to

join the university’s Foundation Day celebrations on

8 November 2010. For more information please visit www.eur.nl/dies

The significance of pop music examinedOver the next few years, Susanne

Janssen, a professor of Media and

Cultural Studies, will look at the how

pop music shapes cultural identity. What

has been the significance of punk and

rock music for post-war generations and

what are some of the local differences?

Her project, entitled “Popular Music

Heritage, Cultural Memory and Cultural

Identity,” will examine the role played by

popular music in creating cultural identity

in several European countries. Janssen

received for a European grant for the project of

€ 900,000.

Psychologists more social than economistsStudents of economy are more selfish than psychology students and scientists should take this into account when conducting research. These are the findings of Michaéla Schippers (EUR), Paul de Lange (VU) and Daniel Balliet from Singapore. Students are often used for research because they are easy to recruit and often interested in research. Yet differences in behaviour can be significant: psychology students are more likely to base their judgments on social factors while economists tend to think only of themselves.


From 1 January 2011 the Executive Board will make

it compulsory for researchers to submit their articles

to the public EUR repository RePub, which currently

contains some 15,000 documents. The complex

copyright regulations that govern publishing mean

that not all publications will be immediately

available; an embargo period of up to six

months is often imposed. However, these can be

circumvented in around 80% of cases. RePub’s

technical staff is working hard to make its database

as legible as possible for external search engines.

Jo van Nunen honoured with scholarship and chairThe Erasmus University has introduced a scholarship and a chair in transportation and logistics in memory of Prof. Jo van Nunen, who died unexpectedly in May. Both scholarship and chair will bear his name.

Van Nunen, professor of Logistics at the Rotterdam School of Management

Erasmus University, had plans to retire in September this year but died suddenly

in May. Van Nunen was a popular researcher in the world of supply chain

management and the Rotterdam harbour. The Jo van Nunen Scholarship

will enable foreign students to follow a Master in Global Trade & Logistics

at the Erasmus University. The initiative comes from Hans Smits, CEO Port of

Rotterdam, who is donating € 15,000; he hopes that other donors will follow.

The chair in transportation and logistics has been introduced by the Rotterdam

School of Management Erasmus University.

Since spring this year, the Erasmus University has been working

on a project to get children more interested in science. It has

been working together with Rotterdam University, the Natural

History Museum and 20 regional primary schools. Science

Junction (Wetenschapsknooppunt) is designed to encourage

talent development among young children. The lesson plans and

activities introduce primary school children to science in a way

that helps them develop investigative learning skills and make full

use of their talents. Participants include students at EUR, teacher

training students, teachers’ assistants, researchers and teachers.

The project gives students teaching experience as well as a chance

to contribute to the development of new curricula for gifted

children. In turn, teachers can facilitate the

introduction of science into the school

curriculum. Science Junction is part

of the nationwide Orion Programme,

developing regional science hubs.

Science Junction getting kids into science

Economists give their opinionResearchers at the Erasmus School of Economics are eager to share their opinions on current social issues; indeed they regularly post them on www.economieopinie.nl Whether it’s the fate of postmen or the current situation of Dutch pension funds, nothing escapes the attention of these high-ranking economists. The faculty hopes to make a scientifically underpinned contribution to contemporary political and social debates in this way.

For more information: www.economieopinie.nl

In the land of research, sustainability is here to stay

Erasmus University and sustainability



Sustainability is everywhere these days. Individuals, companies and

global organizations all have it on their agenda. And the Erasmus

University Rotterdam is no exception - especially in the area of re-

search. Working alongside Rotterdam City Council, the university

accommodates some of the top scientists in the field.

text Marjolein Marchal

illustrations Lobke van Aar

‘People say that sustainability is a hype, that it’s

‘hot’, but I’ve been working in the field now for

25 years and have seen that media attention

comes and goes. When people say it’s a hype, I

think: I’ve heard that before. Ever since I’ve been

involved there has been a steady undercurrent

even though people don’t always see it.’ So says

Jan Rotmans, professor of Management Transition

and founder of the Dutch Research Institute

for Transitions (DRIFT), which started life at the

Erasmus University in 2004. The institute carries

out multi- and inter-disciplinary research into

transitions towards sustainability. These occur in

society in areas such as energy supply, agriculture,

traffic and transport, but also for example in

healthcare.

Sustainability is a broad and rather vague term.

‘My interpretation,’ says Rotman, ‘is: doing things

that benefit society, the environment and the

economy. For example, in construction terms

you would build something that no one would

ever want to change. Previously, we would build

something bad and then compensate by creating

an area of green nearby. These days we build

something that has immediate added value for

the local population and the environment.’

‘Sustainability’ used to be applied exclusively

to environmental issues such as acidification.

Nowadays it covers a much broader range of

topics, such as social sustainability. ‘And that’s just

one example,’ explains Rotmans. ‘The concept is

so wide that it is in danger of becoming diluted.

But it has crept into the fabric of society so it is

bound to have taken on a broader meaning. ‘The

advantage of this is that everyone wants to join

in.’ But according to Rotman it also means that

the term is often used merely as a marketing tool.

‘Operating a truly sustainable business always

requires an internal transition. Sustainability must

become an integral part of a business’ strategy,

mission and operational practices. In that respect,

says Rotmans, Erasmus University Rotterdam has

a long way to go. ‘It needs to develop an integral

sustainability plan and policy with emphasis on

mobility, catering and buildings. I know that this is

being worked on at the moment but I would like

to see sustainability as the guiding force behind

the decision making.’

Ingrid de Vries too would like to see a clear

policy from the university management. De Vries

initiated the university’s Greening the Campus

project (see page 27), geared towards making

the campus more sustainable by introducing

changes that were relatively simple to implement.

The project also wanted to raise awareness on

green issues amongst both students and staff. De

Vries is pleased with the results but sees room for

improvement in the near future, something she

believes could be taken up by scientists working

at Erasmus. One of the university’s major strengths

is the contribution it can make to knowledge

development in this area. For this reason De Vries

set up a number of specific chairs in recent years:

Cradle to Cradle co-author Michael Braungart is


now connected to DRIFT, part of the Faculty of

Social Sciences, and Gail Whiteman, an expert

in the field of sustainability management is

currently professor at the Rotterdam School of

Management.

The university is also involved in a project bringing

together science and the ‘real’ world: the

Rotterdam Climate Initiative (RCI). The RCI was

set up four years ago and involves collaboration

between the municipality of Rotterdam, the

Port of Rotterdam, the DCMR Environmental

Protection Agency and Deltalinqs. RCI aims

to halve Rotterdam’s CO2 emissions by 2025

compared to 1990. ‘We look at how The Erasmus

University as a research institution can help to

realize the CO2 reduction target’, explains Josee

van Eijndhoven. She is Professor of Sustainability

Management and RCI project leader. Scientists

from six different faculties are now involved and

consult with the city council’s climate department.

‘The climate is changing and new challenges are

appearing for Rotterdam City Council. There will

be a need for a new approach to building for

example, such as building on water. And as we

face a warmer climate we will have to look at

new diseases that could arise, and how to prevent

them. The university can address these new issues

by conducting research and looking into what

practical steps could be taken to solve them; how

feasible they are and how they can be made more

feasible. Research into how local businesses could

help to make Rotterdam a more CO2-neutral

region would also be useful.’

The research agenda is expected to be finalized

by the end of this year. Scientists and the council

have to agree on what to prioritise, says Van

Eijndhoven. ‘The university has the best of

intentions to do things for the city, but the reality

is that scientists focus on publishing their findings,

preferably in the most prestigious scientific

journals. However, what the City of Rotterdam

needs is action, and fast. So we need scientific

research that will produce results reasonably

quickly, and that can be subsidised in the short

term. There has already been a lot of research into

sustainability, and how the findings can be applied

on both local and regional levels. What we are

doing now is mapping these findings and bringing

them together.’

The Michael Braungart and Jan Rotmans quotes in this article are taken from interviews previously published in Erasmus Magazine.

Cradle to Cradle, or C2C, is a concept

that is catching on fast with companies,

small businesses and scientists. For the

last 18 months, one of the concept’s

creators, the prominent German

chemist Michael Braungart, has been

employing his talents at the Erasmus

University Rotterdam.

Current manufacturing methods

mean that products usually end up

on a rubbish tip. When products are

recycled, only a portion of the product

is re-used; the journey to the tip may

be a little longer, but that’s where the

recycled product usually ends up, in

its ‘grave’. With C2C however, the

materials used in the first product can

be re-used without any loss in value,

demanding innovation in terms of

both the product and the production

process. Braungart calls C2C ‘a strategy

to review production processes so

that we can make products that are

100% re-usable and do not pollute the

environment.’

If it was Braungart who called

the shots, the Erasmus University

Rotterdam would also embrace the

C2C principle. ‘It could call itself a C2C

university and set goals for 2020 for

example. That’s not to say that it would

have to be perfect, but it can strive for

improvement.’

Braungart already envisages a future

scenario. ‘All the paper that we use

in five years time will be good for the

biosphere because the raw materials

in it will be returned to the biosphere.

And the quality of the air indoors will

be better than outdoors. New buildings

will resemble trees; they will replenish

the air instead of destroying it. And

we will manage our materials in a way

that actively improves things instead

of simply being ‘not so bad’. The key

to it all will be creativity becoming a

platform for innovation.’


Professor Michael Braungart

The term ‘cradle to cradle’ refers to the process

of re-using materials from one product to make

a new one, without any loss in value. Professor

Michael Braungart sees opportunities here for

the Erasmus University.

‘The university could call itself a cradle-to-cradle university’


‘The Erasmus University was the

first university in the Netherlands to

approach sustainability in a serious

way,’ says Ingrid de Vries, who initiated

Greening RSM at the Rotterdam School

of Management in 2005 and went

on to become part-time co-ordinator

of Greening the Campus in 2008.

Greening the Campus is a two-year

project that operates throughout the

university and is geared to making the

campus sustainable. After a number

of ‘quick wins’ at the RSM, such as

the introduction of organic food and

environment-friendly paper, De Vries

began to focus on broader issues.

‘And we’ve already achieved a lot. We

now use exclusively green energy, the

canteen sells organic food and all the

coffee is Fair Trade. We have introduced

environment-friendly paper as well as

ecologically sound cleaning products.’

In order to get students more involved,

a student body was set up in 2009,

Green EUR, to stimulate enthusiasm

for sustainability. Students learn about

the issue in special sessions and, says

De Vries, ‘There is an active core of

students who are really driven and

result-oriented. They organized a

hitching expedition to the climate

summit in Copenhagen as well as

‘green’ marketing here on the campus.’

The events that GreenEUR organised

in 2010 included a Sustainable

Career Day and trips to companies

in the Rotterdam area that embrace

sustainability. So there is no shortage

of activities. But De Vries sees more

opportunities ahead. ‘We’re still

not sustainable.’ She underlines the

importance of reducing waste for

example, and is a firm supporter of

Braungart’s cradle to cradle approach,

a principle that can be applied to make

buildings sustainable. Right now plans

are underway to expand the campus

and to renovate existing buildings – the

perfect opportunity she believes to

put sustainability into practice. ‘Now

is the time to take action,’ she says.

She sees the campus as an ideal space

for experimentation and would like

to involve TU Delft in finding out if

the campus can meet its own energy

requirements, by using solar and wind

energy for example.

Other sciences can also be utilised in

Greening the Campus according to De

Vries. The university’s environmental

impact could be measured more

accurately. ‘The Erasmus University has

a great deal of economic data and is

the perfect place to develop and apply

measurement tools that go beyond the

limits of one single area such as energy

consumption.’

‘Now, with the plans to expand the campus, is the time to take action’

Ingrid de Vries on Greening the Campus

The Greening the Campus project has already

taken a lot of successful, sustainable steps. But

project manager Ingrid de Vries believes that

opportunities still lie ahead. ‘We are not yet a

sustainable campus.’


Professor Gail Whiteman

People are aware of the environmental crisis

but are not taking action,’ observes ‘sustain-

ability professor’ Gail Whiteman. She is proud

of the research and teaching at Erasmus Univer-

sity, but believes the university itself could be a

lot more sustainable.

‘Great things have already been done

throughout the university, such as the

introduction of green energy and the

reduction of CO2 emissions. But we

need more commitment. If we look

at changes in people’s behaviour then

there’s not a lot happening. Individuals

must be encouraged to change the

way they do things by a system of

(dis)incentives. The paradox is that

everyone is aware of the environmental

crisis, but nobody is doing anything.’

Gail Whiteman has occupied the

Sustainability and Climate Change

chair at the Rotterdam School of

Management (RSM) since April this

year, but has worked at the Erasmus

University for longer. In her new

post she deals with the social and

environmental issues that arise in

the world of business. Whiteman

used to be involved in the Greening

the Campus project. ‘The university

needs to set itself targets that can

be measured and must then go

about realizing them with the help of

experts.’

In the area of education and research

the university has much to be proud

of claims the professor. ‘Research

is carried out at an international

level, certainly at the RSM. In 2009

the RSM ranked seventh worldwide

and first in Europe in the Aspen

Institute’s Beyond Grey Pinstripes

ranking, based on its activities in

research and education in the area of

sustainability. ‘That is something to

be proud of.’ Beyond Grey Pinstripes

is an alternative ranking set up by

business schools. Educational facilities

that have integrated awareness of

the environment, ethics and social

relationships into their MBA curriculum

score high in the ranking. Whiteman

herself tries to raise awareness on

sustainability in the world of business.

She is co-founder and director of

the RSM’s Sustainability and Climate

Research Centre (SCR). ‘I’m currently

looking at how we can get the issue

of sustainability into the boardroom.

We are like a canary in a coal mine;

there is a real crisis underway, but

how do you get people to realize its

impact? It is crucial that company

directors, mayors and other influential

people feel a personal commitment

to sustainability. If they do, and they

can persuade their managers to make

sustainable decisions, then we’re

getting somewhere.’

‘There is a real crisis underway’


From Rotterdam to Moscow

Monday Opposite my metro station Chistie Proedi (Clean

Ponds) a new billboard has appeared showing three naked

women praising the interest rates of the Trust Bank, the

percentages emblazoned across their breasts. Russians are

not particularly fond of banks; for many of them the ruble

crisis of 1998, when their savings plummeted in value

virtually overnight, is still fresh in their memory. So it’s hardly

surprising that a lot of them choose to keep their cash in

an old sock. Would these – sockless - beauties be able to

convince the Muscovites to run en masse to the bank and

open an account?

Thursday I watched the news again this evening. Vremya

it’s called; ‘time’. This Russian version of the eight o’clock

news is received by all 140 million Russians. It is a series of

performances given by the president and/or prime minister;

apparently the state demands that at least half of the

broadcast should be devoted to the Russian leadership. I

don’t know anyone who can sit through the full half-hour

every night. Everyone realizes that what they see on TV

here is only what their leaders want them to see. In the

Netherlands people would react rather strangely if they saw

our minister president fighting off bears bare-chested. But

my friend S. considers it completely normal - kroeta (cool)

even, when Putin himself boards a plane to help extinguish

forest fires. In the West Vladimir Putin is often depicted as

a rather fearsome kind of spy. But in Russia many citizens

appreciate their leader. He brought political stability to the

country and greater prosperity to many of its inhabitants.

Sunday 2.13 am. Back from the 24-hour supermarket

where I went to get cornflakes for the children’s breakfast,

ready for the start of a new school week. You can buy

everything here, day or night. You want a haircut at three

in the morning? No problem. Want to purchase the latest

iPad on a Sunday morning? Chances are you’ll have to battle

your way to the cash desk along with a crowd of Muscovites.

It still takes some getting used to. Whenever I have a

delegation of friends visiting from home they always exclaim:

‘Moscow is such a modern city!’ Apparently the Russian

capital still conjures up images of buying second-hand jeans

on the black market. In reality my fashion-conscious friend F.

finds herself spoilt for choice before racks of items from the

latest Gucci collection. My fellow journalists and I don’t seem

to be doing our job properly, otherwise people would already

know that the Moscow of 2010 bears no resemblance

whatsoever to the former capital of the Soviet Union.

Tuesday An email from Andrei and Anya, from Irkutsk, a

city with 500,000 inhabitants in eastern Siberia. We’d spent

time in the summer holidays together, at Lake Baikal, almost

as big as the Netherlands, wanting to show our kids that

Russia is a lot bigger than Moscow. We pitched our tents on

the shore of the lake. Camping in the Netherlands involves

sitting in front of your tent with a book and a quiet cup of

coffee. Not so in Russia. Once we’d set up our tents, a whole

crowd of Russian holidaymakers followed suit, and they did

so as close to our tent as possible; I felt severely limited in my

privacy. Apparently I was looking at the situation all wrong.

‘Camping is a social event,’ explained Andrei and Anya while

they stoked up the campfire. ‘If you want privacy you have to

be in the city.’ A glass of vodka was forced on me, the first

of many. Any form of resistance proved futile. We spent four

evenings and nights with our new friends, smoking, drinking,

eating grilled fish and discussing the meaning of life.

Russians have a bad name. Everyone says they always look

surly and are rude. Actually, the opposite is true. They’re a

welcoming lot - friendly, and will tell you their entire life story

after just one glass of vodka. So pass it on, please.

Kysia Hekster (1971) studied History of Society from 1990 to 1996. After her studies she worked, among other places, at the University of Amsterdam and at the Netherlands Interdenominational Broadcasting Company (IKON). She is currently NOS correspondent in Moscow.

Rotterdam alumnus Kysia Hekster is a correspondent for the NOS in Moscow. She writes about ‘her’ Russia for EA.

Russians keep their money in old socks



Education AwardPsychologist Dr. Gino Camp receives Erasmus Univer-sity’s Education Award for his close involvement in the development of the Psychology programme. This has been voted the Netherlands’ best psychology training by both students and review committees for several years in succession. Camp contributed to the creation of various courses, including those on the psychology of memory and social psychology. The success of the programme has a lot to do with the Problem-based Learning (PBL) model that Camp co-introduced. (photo: Michelle Muus)

Erasmus University

Rotterdam

Alumni & Corporate

Relations Office

Room A1-62

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50

3062 PA Rotterdam

Telefoon 010-4081110

Fax 010-4089075

[email protected]

www.eur.nl/alumni

Alumni Advisory Board

Frans van Houten, Derek Roos,

Dominic Schrijer, Michel

Dutrée, Paul van der Maas,

Sietse Hepkema, Henk

Weltevreden, Ebru Umar, Dick

Verbeek, Ila Kasem, Steven

van Eijck, Frans Weisglas,

Pieter Zevenbergen (voorzit-

ter), Marcella Breedeveld,

Rinske Brand, Liliane Ploumen,

Fiona Dove, Jan Hendrik

Egberts, Arie Fakkert

Dies Natalis

Under the banner of Problem-

based Learning: 8 November

2010, 2.45 p.m. Aula Woude-

stein Information: Ger Lugten-

berg, tel: (010) 408 1775

email: [email protected]

Bachelor Open Day

An information day for vwo

students in groups 4, 5 and 6

and their parents.

13 November 2010, 9.30 a.m.

to 2 p.m., Erasmus University

Rotterdam

Bachelor Open Day Parents

An information evening for

parents of prospective stu-

dents. 23 November 2010,

7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Erasmus

University

Master Open Day

Information day for hbo and

wo bachelors

30 November, 2010, 4 p.m. to

9 p.m., Erasmus University

Science Dinner São Paolo,

Brazil

30 November, 2010

Information: Shirley Endirece,

tel: (010) 40 82246 email:

[email protected]

UB Library card

As of academic year

2010/2011, EUR alumni (inclu-

ding ISS, IHS and RSM) can

purchase a library card for the

university library with a sub-

stantial discount: € 10 per year

instead of € 30. Half of this

amount is donated to the

Erasmus Scholarship Fund.

Language Courses

The language courses run by

EUR’s Language and Training

Centre are open to alumni.

There are evening courses in

Chinese, Japanese, Italian,

Spanish, Dutch and English;

French and German courses

are also available and are ope-

rated in conjunction with the

French and German Institutes.

EUR alumni receive a 10% dis-

count on the rate for external

students. For course dates and

details of registration go to:

www.eur.nl/ttc/taalcursus/

open

Information Booklet

Each year EUR’s Alumni & Cor-

porate Relations Office publis-

hes an information booklet for

recent graduates. The booklet

can also be downloaded from

the website:

www.eur.nl/alumni

Erasmus School of

Economics

Alumni Affairs ESE

Jef Verschuren

010-4081458

[email protected]

Charles Hermans

010-4081803

[email protected]

www.esealumni.nl

ESE Alumni Day: Coaching

Our own life seems to be so

unique. But is that actually the

case? How can we benefit

from scientific and practical in-

sights when it comes to our

own lives? Bankers, insurers,

retailers, doctors and head-

hunters all give us their per-

spective. Especially for recent

graduates and focusing on

many important career questi-

ons.

6 November 2010, informati-

on and registration via Linke-

dIn and www.esealumni.nl

ESE Alumni Day: Opening

Business Week

An Alumni Day linked to the

opening of the EFR Business

Week. Programme yet to be

announced. As usual, dinner

at a typical Rotterdam location

will follow the event.

30 March, 2011, information

via LinkedIn and

www.esealumni.nl

ESE Alumni Award

On 3 November the first ESA

Alumni Award will be handed

over to an alumnus for an out-

standing achievement; an

alumni who can serve as an

example to students and

young alumni. Starting this

year, the ESE Alumni Award

will be an annual event.

ESE tightens ties with

alumni

The ESE wants to strengthen

ties between alumni, and

between alumni and the facul-

ty itself. This will enable alum-

ni to benefit from each other’s

experience as well as keep

abreast of developments in

their field. From September

2009 the ESE offers all its new

alumni a two-year trial mem-

bership of the Erasmus Alumni

Association (EAV).

Alumni affairs


Faculty of Social Sciences

Alumni Affairs

Psychology:

Ilona Boutestijn

[email protected]

Sociology:

Erik Snel

[email protected]

Administration:

Suzanne Overbeeke

010-4082346

[email protected]

2 x Veni, 1 x Rubicon

Dr. Peter Scholten receives a

VENI grant for his proposal:

Beyond National Models or In-

tegration? Agenda Dynamics

and the Multi-Level Governan-

ce of Immigrant Integration.

Dr. Lasse Gerrits (BSK) also re-

ceives a VENI grant for his pa-

per: Craving Simplicity in Pu-

blic Decision Making. Dr. Je-

roen van der Waal (SOC) was

awarded a Rubicon grant for

his research: Why immigrants

do not receive state benefit.

Top Talent

Dr. Peter Scholten and Dr. Ar-

win van Buuren both received

a ‘Top Talent Scholarship’ from

the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Alumni Association ABEUR

ABEUR is a large, active alumni

association with no less than

2,200 members. Events are or-

ganized twice a year. The

Board consists of Caroline van

Doorn (chair), Martin van Hen-

gel (secretary), Arco Strop

(treasurer), Mieke Peters,

Edwin de Graaf, Jacques Stu-

art, Jacco van der Tak and

Jasper van de Jagt. ABEUR can

be found on LinkedIn: Erasmus

University Rotterdam, Alumni

ABEUR

For more information go to:

www.eur.nl/fsw/bsk/abeur

Alumni Association

Psychology

The first alumni meeting was

held on Friday 19 March 2010

and included a lecture by Peter

de Wit, the cartoonist respon-

sible for the Sigmund cartoons

in the Dutch daily newspaper

de Volkskrant.

A networking and drinks event

followed. A new board is cur-

rently being formed.

For more information go to:

www.psyweb.nl or email:

[email protected]

Alumni Association

Sociology

The first alumni meeting was a

great success! There was a

clear discourse on the AOW by

Paul de Beer, followed by a

discussion, opened by Romke

van der Veen, and drinks. ‘It

was with some nostalgia that

we observed that today stu-

dents and alumni still have to

be almost swept out of the

bar by the very attentive cate-

ring staff.’

The association can be found

on LinkedIn under the name:

Alumni Association Sociology

(EUR). For more information

go to: www.eur.nl/fsw

Erasmus School of Law

Alumni Affairs ESL

Arnoud Houweling

010-4089758

[email protected]

www.frg.eur.nl/alumni

Inaugural lecture Prof.

K.A.M. Henrard

A major event accompanies

this lecture. The Minority Re-

search Network, set up by

Kristin Henrard, holds its first

annual conference, entitled

Socio-Economic Participation

of Minorities in relation to

Their Right to Identity on 27,

28 and 29 October 2010.

29 October 2010, Aula,

campus Woudestein

Congress: The Administra-

tive Punishment Order in

Perspective

An administrative punishment

order will shortly be introduced

throughout the Netherlands.

The question is: is this an ef-

fective enforcement tool? Will

it give local authorities an ade-

quate and reliable sanction op-

tion compared with the cur-

rent system of fixed penalties

and fines?

10 November 2010, for infor-

mation and registration go to

www.frg.eur.nl

Inaugural lecture by

Professor Buskirk

Formal and informal instituti-

ons to handle trust relations:

A case for empirical and inter-

disciplinary legal research.

11 November, 2010. 4 p.m.,

Aula, Woudestein

New professors

In recent months the

following ESL professors were

appointed:

Prof. C. W. A. Timmermans

(Christian), Professor of

International Relations; S. J. C.

Hemels (Sigrid), Professor of

Tax Law; Prof. T. Cohen

Jehoram LL.M (Tobias),

Professor of Intellectual

Property Rights; Prof. W. S. R.

Stoter LL.M (Suzan), Professor

occupying an endowed chair

in Law and Innovation; Prof.

A.R. Hartmann (Arthur),

Professor occupying an

endowed chair in Criminal

Justice; Prof. R. C. R. Siekmann

(Robert), Professor Professor

occupying an endowed chair

in International and European

Sports Law

General Erasmus Alumni AssociationGraduates of the Erasmus University Rotterdam have at least one thing in common; they all studied at an entrepreneurial university, a university rooted in so-ciety. That’s one reason the university wants to stay in touch with its graduates. And of course its gradu-ates don’t want to lose contact with their university and/or faculty either, or with each other. The Eras-mus Alumni Association (EAV) provides each alum-nus of the Erasmus University Rotterdam the chance to stay in touch with the EUR, its faculties and other alumni in a way that suits them. It organizes a wide range of activities such as an annual dinner, a re-gional Desiderius Dinner, get-togethers for young alumni as well as company visits. In addition, the association publishes two periodicals: the bi-mont-hly Erasmus Alumnieuws and the annual Erasmus Alumni Gids. The EAV works closely with the Alumni Office of the Erasmus University and maintains close contact with the Trust Fund Association Erasmus University Rotterdam and other alumni groups and associations in Rotterdam.

EAV secretariat, Tel: (010) 414 9407 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m).

email: [email protected]

www.erasmusalumnivereniging.nl


Erasmus Medical Center

Alumni Affairs Erasmus MC

Erasmus MC, Gk 9-54

010-7044538

[email protected]

www.erasmusmc.nl/

verenigingen/alumni

Course for General

Practitioners

Developments in Medicine,

GPs only (in training)

4 to 5 November 2010,

De Doelen Concert and Confe-

rence Hall, Rotterdam

Fifth Invitational

Conference

Meeting the future together,

the Fifth Invitational Conferen-

ce. The project Benchmarking

OK has grown over the past

years to become a collaborati-

on between nine UMCs (eight

in the Netherlands and one in

Antwerp, Belgium).

www.benchmarking-ok.nl

December 2010, Vumc, Am-

sterdam

Symposium: You ask, we

provide?

From necessary healthcare to

medicine on demand

11 November, 2010, 3 p.m.

Erasmus MC - Lecture Hall 3,

Participation is free but regis-

tration is required

Symposium: Patient Safety,

how to achieve it?

26 November, 2010, 12 noon,

Rotterdam

Faculty of Philosophy

Alumni Affairs FW

Ticia Herold

010-4088980

[email protected]

Renewal Humanities

The Dutch Organization for

Scientific Research (NWO) has

been awarded a grant of € 2

million for the research study:

What Can the Humanities

Contribute to Our Practical

Self-Understanding?’ The four-

year programme is being car-

ried out by researchers at the

universities of Utrecht, Leiden

and Rotterdam.

Professor Bruins Prize

Mara van der Lugt, alumna of

the Faculty of Philosophy, has

been awarded the Prof. Bruins

Prize. This prize is awarded an-

nually by the Erasmus Universi-

ty for Research master stu-

dents who have linked toge-

ther an exceptional study

achievement with promising

research.

Faculty of History and the

Arts

Alumni Affairs FHKW

Mw. Sabaï Doodkorte MA

010-4082874

[email protected]

www.fhk.eur.nl/alumni

Alumni Reception

Drinks to mark the end of La-

bour Market Orientation Day

2011. All alumni are cordially

invited to catch up with their

former fellow students and

teachers over snacks and a

drink. Invitations to follow.

14 April, 2011, 7 p.m. to 8.30

p.m. De Etage (L-Building,

Woudestein)

Alumni Newsletter

Go to the faculty alumni site

(www.fhk.eur.nl/alumni) to

find out how you can subscri-

be to the digital newsletter

Alumni Actueel. You will be

kept up-to-date and receive

invitations to special events.

You can also join the faculty’

Alumni Group on LinkedIn.

Professor Willem Frijhoff

appointed Professor Occu-

pying Endowed Chair

Em. Professor Willem Frijhoff

has been appointed Professor

Occupying an Endowed Chair

at the Erasmus University’s

Faculty of History and the Arts’

Verhagen Foundation. The

historian Frijhoff (1942) was

Professor of Social History at

EUR from 1983 to 1997 and

was Dean of the Faculty of

History and the Arts for a

number of years. Frijhoff was

also attached to the Vrije

(Free) University in Amster-

dam. He retired in 2007.

Frijhoff’s research includes a

study of the historical

processes involved in cultural

transfer (education, training,

the art of reading), as well as

into collective memory,

imaging and the identity of

individuals, groups and cities;

he also looks at types of

religious experience in the

Early Modern Period.

Frijhoff will hold his inaugural

address on 10 December

2010.

Rotterdam School of

Management

Alumni Affairs RSM

Drs. Eva Rood, Manager

Alumni Business Administrati-

on Relations T6-25

T6-25, 010-408 2698

[email protected]

www.alumni.nl

Newsletter

For a current listing of alumni

events visit our website or sub-

scribe to our monthly digital

newsletter. You will then re-

ceive an overview of news and

events of interest to alumni.

Send an email ([email protected])

with subject: Notification

Newsletter, and we will add

you to the mailing list.

RSM Outlook

If you don’t receive our corpo-

rate magazine RSM Outlook

then it is probably because

your correct address is not in

our database. Please send your

correct address to alumni@

rsm.nl and we will make sure

you receive your copy of Out-

look in the future. Outlook is

published twice a year and

contains business articles and

alumni news.

Economics made funBooks like Freakeconomics and The Undercover Economist have become very popular. Why is this ‘economics-made-fun’ a growth genre how does it impact the image of economics and the economy? On 10 and 11 December 2010, the Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (EIPE), part of the Faculty of Philosophy, is organizing the conference Economics made fun in the face of the economic crisis.

Alumni affairs


RSMOutlookThe Alumni and Corporate Relations Magazine of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

SUM

MER

201

0

ManageMent researchshaping the future of business

Money launderinga global problem

10 years of eriMleaDing bY results

ethical purchasingfor sustainable

aDVantage

RSM Annual Fund

“Receiving the alumni scholar-

ship was absolutely the ena-

bling factor in my education at

RSM.” Vinod Nair, MBA 2010

graduate.

The RSM set up an annual

fund in 2009; by donating to

this fund as an alumnus or

friend of the RSM you will be

helping the school in the

pursuit of its goal: being

amongst the top five best

business schools in the world.

You can specify how you want

your money to be spent: a) on

scholarships for talented

students who do not have

enough resources to follow

our top MBA programme, b)

on grants for MSc students

with little or no resources at

their disposal to participate in

an exchange programme, or c)

on business-relevant research.

RSM Insight is the first step to

unlocking knowledge that is

important for business. The

RSM Annual Fund is supported

by the Erasmus University Trust

Fund Association.

www.rsm.nl/annualfund

CEMS Annual events &

graduation

CEMS Graduation ceremony.

The elite international training

programme CEMS is a

collaboration between 27

business schools - the best

from each country - and 63

corporate partners. We are

honoured in being able to

welcome Nobel Prize winner

Dr. Muhamed Yunus

(Microfinance) to give a

lecture.

www.cemsevent.com

30 November to 4 December,

Rotterdam

International Institute of

Social Studies

Alumni Affairs IISS

www.iss.nl/alumni

[email protected]

About ISS

The ISS in The Hague is a lea-

ding institute for research,

education and public debate

on development studies. The-

mes include development eco-

nomics, poverty and conflict,

governance and democracy,

children and youth, human

rights and work, and globali-

zation.

The ISS has been part of the

Erasmus University Rotterdam

since mid-2009; the institute

operates entirely in English.

Each year 300 to 400 students

follow one of the following

programmes: PhD training

(four years); MA programme

in Development Studies (15.5

months); diploma program-

mes (6 to10 weeks). The stu-

dents represent all regions of

the world and often come

from developing countries.

The ISS focuses primarily on

so-called ‘mid-career professi-

onals’, people who not only

have a bachelor and a good

command of the English lan-

guage, but also a number of

years of relevant work experi-

ence.

Since it was established in

1952, some 11,000 people

from over 60 countries have

followed courses at the insti-

tute. Many of them now occu-

py leading positions in govern-

ments, ministries, research in-

stitutes and NGOs.

Alumni Association

Nearly 2,000 ISS alumni have

joined the ISS alumni group

on Facebook, while the more

recently formed ISS alumni

group on Linkedin is growing

rapidly (current membership

around 800). The ISS sends

out a digital newsletter every

two months and regularly or-

ganizes alumni meetings

around the world.

Institute of Health Policy &

Management

Alumni Affairs iBMG

Ernst Bakker

Room J7-23

Antwoordnummer 90152

3009 VB Rotterdam

[email protected]

www.bmg.eur.nl/alumni

Jan Klein Lecture

Prior to the lecture there will

be a symposium on patient

safety with, amongst others,

Professor Kim Putters.

26 November, 2010, lecture at

4 p.m., Maritime and Trans-

port College Rotterdam

Alumni Association BMG

Marieke van ‘t Root

c/o Erasmus University

Rotterdam

aBMG / Room J7-23

Antwoordnummer 90152

3009 VB Rotterdam

Email: [email protected]

www.abmg.nl

H. W. Lambers Prize goes to iBMG researcherIgna Bonfrer has been awarded the annual Prof. H. W. Lambers Prize 2010. The prize, handed out by the EUR in conjunction with the Trust Fund Association, is given to students who have two master degrees and have formed a bridge between the two disciplines. Igna graduated with a masters in Econometrics & Management Science and Management (EUR), Health Economics (EUR) and History of Medicine (University of Oxford). She is now a PhD student at the institute of Health Policy and Management (iBMG). (photo: RvdH)


Institute for Housing and

Urban Development

Studies, EUR

Alumni Affairs IHS

Sarah Steendam,

IHS Alumni Relations Office

[email protected],

www.ihs.nl/alumni

+31 10 4089874

IHS Alumni unite!

Please join us online on

LinkedIn and Facebook

Alumni Meetings:

Ghana

In cooperation with Nether-

lands Alumni Association Gha-

na. 29 October, Ghana

Thailand

In cooperation with Neso Thai-

land, IHS Alumni Association

Thailand

November, Thailand, Bangkok

India

In cooperation with IHS Alum-

ni Association India

December, India, Bangalore

EUR Alumni Meeting India

In cooperation with IHS Alum-

ni International and IHS Alum-

ni Association India

February 2011, New-Delhi,

Mumbai

IHS Alumni International

Board Meeting

6-13 February 2011, New-

Delhi, India

Conference: Urban Develop-

ment: patterns, causes, foun-

dations, and policy

13 and 14 December 2010,

IHS Rotterdam, The Nether-

lands

Refresher Courses

In 2010 IHS will be able orga-

nise 5 refresher coureses for

IHS Alumni thanks to the fi-

nancial support of Nuffic. The

courses refresh previous issues

and fine tune participants’ ex-

perience and knowledge with

current international policy

practices and new issues that

have emerged since their par-

ticipation in IHS courses. The

courses are very interactive.

Participants have the chance

to present their experiences

and often tIHS generates a ra-

pid assessment of what is

going on regionally. It is an ex-

cellent opportunity for net-

working and for assessing the

impact of their previous trai-

ning at IHS.

Info: www.ihs.nl/alumni

Alumni Network: Linking Urban ProfessionalsThe Alumni International Network of the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), aims at creating an international IHS alumni plat-form to foster exchange amongst urban professio-nals from all over the globe. Its objective, summed up by their ‘linking urban professionals’ slogan is to link urban professionals both internationally and at a local level, connecting up IHS alumni associations in different countries.IHS Alumni International held a kick-off board mee-ting in the Netherlands. The six board members of IHS Alumni International assembled for a dedicated weekend of brainstorming, prioritising plans and sharing views and opinions on the development of the Network for Urban Professionals.

Please contribute to a report of this meeting and share your

ideas with the board at www.ihs.nl/alumni

Investing in knowledge In the Netherlands knowledge investment is not yet common

practice. In Anglo-Saxon countries it has been a lifeline for

universities for years. Ivy League universities in America have

enviable access to billions of dollars in endowment funds and

in the UK universities are starting to have some success when

it comes to tapping sources of private funding. But in the

Netherlands? The culture of Calvinism still prevails. Investing

in knowledge? We do it willingly when it comes to dropping

coins into collecting boxes for charity, but are less spontaneous

when we find a giro slip for our alma mater on the doormat.

However, over the next few years the Dutch will need to be

more generous if they want to maintain their current standard

of research. Do the maths: the 75% public funding that uni-

versities currently receive will be put under more pressure in

the future. Indeed it wouldn’t surprise me if it is cut to 60%,

or even less. And if we really intend to make it into the top

five of the most competitive knowledge economies, then we

will need an extra five or six billion euro’s a year. Perhaps we

should smile sweetly at George Soros like the NGO Human

Rights Watch did recently? Or at Bill Gates, Warren Buffett,

or one of the other generous benefactors across the ocean? I

suspect that they have their hands full with their own universi-

ties and that we in the Netherlands are very low down on their

list of priorities. We’ll have to come up with something oursel-

ves. ‘A better environment starts at home,’ our government

once told us. And so does knowledge investment. When I give

lectures to commercial entities, I now ask for an allowance for

EUR’s scholarship fund. And I ask similar favours from other in-

stitutions, such as theatres and charities. I haven’t reached the

point yet of setting myself the target of recouping my salary in

the form of donations, but when our efforts come to fruition,

that is the direction in which I will go. As directors of univer-

sities we have large external networks. In the past we have

been reluctant to use them to the full, but necessity knows

no bounds. So, dear alumni, as you read this, would you re-

member your alma mater? A chair or bequest, a scholarship or

student pavilion. You don’t have to wait until that giro slip falls

on the doormat.

Pauline van der Meer Mohr,Chair of the Executive Board of Erasmus University

ColumnAlumni affairs


Inaugural speech

A inaugural speech is a good place for a newly appointed

professor to say what he thinks, and what he thinks

should change. Neurologist Rogier Hintzen, who

delivered his inaugural address on 24 June 2010, gave his

audience plenty to think about.

text Wieneke Gunneweg

illustratiom Bas van der Schot

It’s not all about the patient ‘More and more, patients are asking their doctors

for a particular treatment, even if it has not been

developed from solid scientific research. Previously,

patients would hear about alternative treatments

in the waiting room or pub; nowadays it’s the

internet that is their main source of information.

Patients have also become increasingly suspicious

of everything that belongs to the established order

- including doctors. And they are angry because

we don’t research these alternative therapies,

let alone apply them. It is as though we are

consciously keeping something from them, or are

in league with the pharmaceutical industry.

Scientific knowledge no longer seems to play a

role; it is not about facts any more, but about

opinions. Intrinsic medical quality is increasingly

overruled by the superficial ‘quality’ as perceived

by the patient. And it’s very hard for physicians

and researchers to defend themselves against

these forces. The patient wants a particular

treatment whatever the cost might be. As doctors,

we would do well to discourage this behaviour.’

Less of the free market please‘The free market as it operates in healthcare is full

of paradoxes, something that not many people

stop to consider. Who’s who in this particular

market? Are patients customers? If so, they are

hardly free to choose their own products. And are

health insurers also customers? But surely they

are the ones making the profit? They are also,

increasingly, the supplier. The real free market

doesn’t exist, and it certainly doesn’t exist in

healthcare. Ambitious business models don’t

work for chronic diseases, or if they do then it’s

only for relatively simple procedures like one-off

operations. Commerce does well out of clinics,

which often deliver unsubstantiated diagnoses

and treatments for complex problems such as

dizziness, headaches and back pain. Another

paradox: doctors are often regarded as sharks,

only out for what they can get, while at the same

time the healthcare market expects them to

behave like entrepreneurs.’

Respect hospital managers, but watch out for an MBA culture‘Notably, the solution for organizational problems

doesn’t often lie in the hands of those with a MBA

title who are brought in to establish some sort of

order. We must fight against regarding doctors

as pilots who only briefly have their hands on the

joystick. A pilot does not do the intake with his

passengers, is not involved in interaction, data

exchange, treatment, follow-up, management,

training or marketing. The doctor, the nursing

staff and the patient all need to be in charge.

While the manager is vital, he is a facilitator and a

controller, just as he would be in a law firm.’

Patients? Or victims of ‘care commercialisation’?

MS research: in the lab and at the bedside

Neurologist Rogier Q. Hintzen has been head of the Rot-

terdam MS Centre ErasMS since 2009. He is also Profes-

sor Occupying an Endowed Chair in Multiple Sclerosis

and Neuro-immunology and the central nervous system.

The MS study in Rotterdam focuses on immunology and

genetic epidemiology. Its research practice is characte-

rised by its ‘translational’ nature, the researchers having

one leg in the lab and one at the patient’s bedside, as it

were. ‘This approach is totally in keeping with the spirit

of the university hospital’s founder, Andries Querido,’

says Hintzen. ‘While we can’t keep up with institutions

such as Harvard when it comes to budgets and infra-

structure, in other areas we are on a par. And in our

own Dutch way we are sometimes just that bit more

creative and flexible than for example the big American

universities.’

Alongside his MS research Hintzen has also worked hard

to improve patient care in recent years. After all wit-

hout patients there would be no translational research.

Hintzen’s upcoming research will focus on the biological

determinants that might cause MS and the course of

the disease.


‘Before I came to Rotterdam I knew about

the film festival; in Groningen, where I lived,

you could watch festival films, but when I

came here to study in 2006 I thought: great,

now I can actually go to them.

The nice thing about the festival is the at-

mosphere. It changes everything in the city.

You see it in shop windows for example.

The festival shows unusual, often quirky

films. Last year I saw a film from Tajikistan.

Tajikistan! Where’s that I thought? It was a

very good movie too - there are bad ones

– and the nice thing was that the director

was there. He talked about the film after it

had been shown and the whole cinema was

hushed, just listening to him; he became

quite emotional.

Because of my studies I think I look at films

differently from the average Hollywood film

viewer. Master students of the Sociology

of Art and Culture learn to look at the big-

ger picture behind a story, which country it

was made in for example. And when I was

doing my HBO in Leeuwarden I majored in

audiovisuals; one of the things I learnt was

screenwriting.

During my studies at The Erasmus University,

the festival always seemed to occur during

exam week so I was never able to be a vo-

lunteer. This year I could, and I worked as

sub-coordinator merchandising. The festival

probably wouldn’t be possible without vo-

lunteers, so it’s a good feeling to be there. It

was hard work but I was able to watch a lot

of films, about ten; that’s not bad is it?’

The 40th edition of Rotterdam’s Interna-tional Film Festival runs from 26 January, 2011 to 6 February 2011. In Rotterdam of course. www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com

That’s why Rotterdam

When I was studying, the film festival would always fall in exam week

Name: Marieke Bergsma (27)

Study: HBO Communications

(Leeuwarden), followed by

a transitional year studying

humanities at the Erasmus

University Rotterdam. She left

with a master degree in the

Sociology of Art and Culture.

Graduated: 2009

Proud of: International Film

Festival Rotterdam

Working as a volunteer for the International Film Festival

Rotterdam is tough, but it does give you the opportunity

to see a lot of films. Maria Bergsma seized that opportunity

with both hands.

text Mieke Fiers

photo Levien Willemse


– Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)

‘The entire world is my home’

On this page you will fi nd a small selection from the outstanding range of promotional gifts avaiblable from the Erasmus University. You can order by sending an email to: [email protected]. Or you can call us on +31 10 408 1154. The full range can be seen on www.eur.nl/faciliteiten/relatiegeschenken/assortiment

€ 1 from each order goes to the Erasmus Scholarship Fund. The fund’s objective is to give talented young people from outside the European Union a chance to study in Rotterdam. For more information or to make a donation, please go to www.eur.nl/alumni/esf

Cookin’RotterdamErasmus Student Cookbook€ 4,99

Little Black Book RotterdamThe best city guide of Rotterdam!€ 1,99

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Photography (in part): Frank Versteegen/www.encreative.nl

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Promotional gifts


Family portrait

Peter: ‘After my secondary education at

boarding school in Weert, I wanted to

escape the Catholic environment I grew up

in. The Nederlandse Economische

Hogeschool, as it was known then, was

considered business-like and the best of its

kind; it didn’t have any sort of religious

foundation. I knew nobody in Rotterdam,

which suited me fine.’

Student fraternityPeter: ‘At the student fraternity, the RSC, I

was present at the ragging (known as the

‘laughing freshman’) which involved shaving

your head. I couldn’t take it all very seriously,

but I am still a member.’

Peer: ‘The ragging can be fierce, but you do

learn to stand up for yourself in a short space

of time. Some of the people you get to know

in that period remain friends for life.’

Peter: ‘In my first year the fraternity paid a

visit to the fraternity in Groningen. We went

by bus and didn’t get back to Rotterdam

until 8 o’clock the next morning. Professor

Diepenhorst, who I admired greatly, was

giving a lecture that morning. He could see it

wasn’t coffee we’d been drinking all night,

and adjusted his lecture accordingly.’

Peer: ‘I set up a student house with others,

which we bought later, ‘The Estate of Hamel’

on the Oostzeedijk-Beneden. Some of my

best memories are from that period and I am

still Chair of the Association of Housemates.’

Still connectedPeer: ‘Like my father, I too am on the

university’s student council and he also sits

on the Trust Fund’s Supervisory Board. I will

be giving the keynote speech on graduation

day at the Erasmus School of Economics. As

a city Rotterdam is great, with students and

businesses working together. I feel at home

with its work ethic.’

Rotterdam – a conscious choice for two generations

Father: Peter Swinkels (65),

retired from Bavaria

Study: Business

Administration, from 1965

to 1972

Member: Rotterdamsch

Studenten Corps (RSC)

Son: Peer Swinkels (35),

member of the Executive

Board of Bavaria

Study: Econometrics, from

1993 to 2000

Both Peer Swinkels and his father Peter studied at the

Erasmus University Rotterdam. Together they look back at

their time there.

text and photo Ronald van den Heerik

erasmus alumni magazine

Documents